


don’t follow me (you’ll end up in my arms)

by Anonymous



Series: angsty oneshots/short stories [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Domestic Violence, Eating Disorders, Emotional Manipulation, Not Beta Read, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Physical Abuse, Protective Tony Stark, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24972583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: At the beginning of Peter’s junior year, he falls in love. Or, at least, he thinks he does. Will is the man of his dreams. Sure, he has a temper, and he can be a bit controlling, but still- he’s perfect. Right? Right?AKA Peter thinks he’s in love but before long the relationship spirals into something unhealthy and abusive.
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Original Male Character(s)
Series: angsty oneshots/short stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728802
Comments: 2
Kudos: 159
Collections: Anonymous





	don’t follow me (you’ll end up in my arms)

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: PLEASE HEED THE TAGS!
> 
> DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINES:  
> United States: 1−800−799−7233  
> Australia: 1800 RESPECT  
> Ontario: 1-866-863-0511  
> Quebec: 1 800 363-9010  
> New Zealand: 0800 REFUGE  
> United Kingdom: 0808 2000 247
> 
> CRISIS TEXTLINE:  
> US and Canada: text HOME to 741741  
> UK: text HOME to 85258  
> Ireland: text HOME to 086 1800 280
> 
> this was something i wasn’t sure about posting but it’s been sitting in my google docs for a long time so here it is.
> 
> if you’re experiencing domestic abuse, you’re not alone, and help IS an option.

At the beginning of Peter’s junior year, he falls in love. He’s never been a believer in love at first sight, but from the moment he and Will bump into each other outside Midtown, Peter is head over heels. 

Will Simmons is a freshman in college. He’s a business major, attending Empire State University on a football scholarship. Will is  _ tall-  _ over half a foot taller than Peter is- and broad shouldered. 

When they first meet, Will is on his way into Midtown High to meet with his old football coach- something about mentoring the younger athletes- and Peter is on his way out. The younger boy has all of his textbooks and folders in his arms, having lost his backpack again the night before, so when Will bumps into him, Peter loses balance and his books go toppling to the floor. 

“Shit! Sorry, man,” the older boy curses, immediately kneeling down to pick up the books. Peter follows suit, the concrete warm on his knees. “Do you not have a backpack?”

Peter chuckles anxiously. “Uh- no. I lost it.” He looks up and meets the other boy’s blue eyes, holding out a hand. “I’m Peter, by the way.”

The boy grasps his hand. “Will.” 

They collect the rest of the books until they’re each holding half of them. When they stand up, Peter’s eyes land on a chain hanging from the other boy’s neck. Dangling from the chain is a rectangular rainbow pendant. 

“You like my necklace?”

Peter’s cheeks turn red and he smiles sheepishly. “I- Sorry. Yeah, I do. I have one just like it.”

Will smiles, his pearly teeth perfectly straight. He holds out a hand. “Give me your phone.” The boy quickly fumbles it out of his pocket, handing it over. Will chuckles. “Can you unlock it?”

“Oh! Yeah, heh, that would probably help.”

Once he unlocks it, he places it back in the other boys hand. Will taps on the screen for a moment before handing it back to Peter. 

“There’s my number. Call me if you ever want a tour of ESU. Or… if you just want to get coffee.”

With that, Will walks away, and Peter?

Peter is enthralled. 

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


From then on, things trend upward. Peter texts him, and they get to talking. Their connection is immediate- within a week, it feels as if Peter has known him for years. Will has wormed his way into the boy’s heart and soul. Peter tells him about his parents, about when Ben died, about how difficult it’s for him to get close to people since then. Will listens. He reassures Peter that he’s not going anywhere. Before long, Peter brings him home to meet May, takes him to meet Tony, even tells him about Spider-man. 

Will becomes Peter’s everything, his soulmate. 

Sure, he has a temper. He gets angry easily, throws things sometimes, and can be a bit controlling- but that’s fine. Peter’s happy. Besides, they’re working on it. Peter’s trying to be more understanding, learning how to diffuse his boyfriend’s anger before it gets too bad. These are just bumps in the road, right? 

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


There comes one Saturday afternoon when another bump comes. May is at work, and Peter and Will are sitting on the couch. Peter is on his phone, texting Ned, while a movie plays on the screen. It’s a horror movie, one that Peter isn’t very interested in, but he likes to let Will pick the movies. 

“Who are you texting,” Will asks. 

Peter locks his phone. “Oh- no one. It’s not important.”

Will raises an eyebrow at him. “So we’re keeping secrets now?”

The younger boy feels himself blanch. “I- No, I’m not, it’s just-“

“I don’t want to hear it.” He holds out a hand. “Give me your phone.”

“W-What?”

“Your phone,” Will says. “Give it. Now.”

Peter sighs, handing the device over. He crosses his arms over his chest, jaw set in frustration as Will searches through his phone. 

“You’ve been texting Ned a lot,” his boyfriend says bitterly. 

“He’s my best friend,” Peter replies. 

“You guys are fucking, aren’t you?”

_ That  _ catches Peter off guard. He jumps up, standing with his shoulders tensed and his face red, and Will follows suit. 

“What the  _ fuck  _ Will,” Peter shouts. “I’m not- You know what? I’m not having this conversation with you.” 

Peter turns to leave, but a strong hand wraps around his bicep in a bruising grip. The boy turns around and looks at his boyfriend. They both know that Peter can wrench his arm out of even the strongest grips, but he doesn’t. He feels frozen, and as Will’s grip grows stronger, more painful, Peter’s fear grows. 

“Let me go,” he says.

Will doesn’t. He pulls Peter forward until their bodies are almost touching, then holds Peter’s phone up in his other hand. He throws it to the ground, then stomps on it. 

Once the phone is crushed to bits, Will releases Peter’s arm. He steps backward and flops down on the couch, burying his face in his hands. Peter sees his shoulders shaking and all of the anger leaves him at once. 

“Hey,” Peter says softly, sitting down. “What’s going on with you? Why did you do that?”

“I’m sorry,” Will sobs. “I just… Please don’t leave. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He uses the same hand that he grabbed Peter with earlier to gently pull him forward until they’re hugging. “Please don’t leave me, baby.”

“I won’t,” Peter says.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


Once Will calms down, he promises to buy Peter a new phone. Of course, the younger declines, says he can just ask Tony for a new one. Once evening hits, Will goes home. The younger boy retreats to the bathroom for a moment, rolling up his sleeve to look at the purple fingerprints on his bicep. They’re already getting lighter and will probably be gone by morning. But that doesn’t mean they don’t ache when he brushes his fingers over them. 

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


Over the next few weeks, several more bruises find their place across Peter’s skin. Bruises from grabbing, shoving, pulling- all things Peter tells himself are accidents. They’re not that big a deal. He’s Spider-man. Will knows that, so he isn’t afraid to be a little rough. None of the bruises last long, anyway. And it’s not like Will’s actually  _ hit him  _ or anything. He hasn’t done anything deliberate. Peter can work with that. 

Will starts sleeping over. Apparently his roommate is a real asshole, and since May works so much and is barely ever home, it’s nice to have the company. Eventually, the weather gets warmer, so Peter takes advantage of it by wearing fewer layers, more tank tops, and shorter shorts. 

Peter is getting dressed one morning, about to meet the decathlon team for a study session when Will stops him before he walks out the door. 

“You’re not wearing  _ that,  _ are you?”

Peter’s ears burn red. “I was, uh- I was planning to. Why?”

Will’s nose wrinkles. “I just… It’s kind of revealing, don’t you think? Not really the type of thing you wear when you already have a boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Peter stutters. “Yeah. Sorry, I can go change, if you want.”

Will smiles, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. “Thanks, babe.”

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


“God, Peter, you eat  _ so much.” _

Peter puts down his fork, looking across the table. “Sorry, I just have a fast metabolism,” he says, then lowers his voice so other people in the restaurant can’t hear. “I mean, I  _ am _ Spider-man, you know.”

“Oh, come on,” Will laughs nonchalantly. “Your metabolism can’t be  _ that  _ fast. If it were you wouldn’t have such a fat ass.”

Will continues to chuckle, but Peter just feels a lump from in his throat. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

He doesn’t finish his meal. 

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


This evening is a rough one. May is at work again and Peter doesn’t have dinner ready by the time Will gets home from class, so the older boy starts his usual routine of screaming, knocking things over, voicing his anger. Then, Peter gets the bright idea of defending himself, telling Will that he’s  _ tired  _ and that exams have been brutal and that he’d rather order takeout from that Thai place he loves. 

What does Will do?

He strikes the back of his hand against Peter’s cheek. It’s a blow that he’d normally be able to block or dodge, but once again, Peter’s absolutely  _ exhausted.  _ His brain is fried and his spider sense must be offline, because he’s so unprepared for the blow that it nearly knocks him off his feet. 

Peter stumbles backwards, both arms flying up to shield himself from any future hits, but nothing comes. Instead, he peeks between his arms and sees Will towering over him, panting from the adrenaline, but silent. At that, the boy takes his chances and runs into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. 

He goes to bed early that night. He’s lying on his side, facing the wall with half-dried tears staining his cheeks. He hears Will creak the door open, light pouring in from the hallway, then step inside and shut it. Will simply climbs into bed, wraps his arms around Peter’s waist like he always does, and gives the teen a lingering kiss behind his ear. Peter lets himself be held, as if nothing even happened, but he can’t bring himself to sleep that night. 

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


It’s hot out. 

Like,  _ hot  _ hot. The type of heat that rises in waves from the pavement. Spring has come and gone, along with the end of the school year, and Peter is sweating buckets as he and Will walk down the street on that summer afternoon. 

Of course, it could have something to do with the fact that he’s wearing long sleeves and jeans in ninety degree weather. Surely that was enough to make anyone sweat. But the bruises have been taking a longer time to fade lately- probably due to Peter’s reduction of his food intake- and he’s gotta keep them hidden or people will start to get the wrong idea and think he’s being abused. 

_ He isn’t.  _

_ He isn’t.  _

_ Right? _

When you add in the fact that Will keeps telling him to cover himself up,  _ (“only I should be allowed to see your body, Pete.”)  _ and sprinkle in the not-so-subtle remarks about the younger boy’s weight  _ (“are you sure you’re gonna eat that?”) _ , of course Peter’s going to wear more clothes than necessary. 

One day in early June, Peter and Will are on their way to lunch. Will is insisting on burgers, and who is Peter to deprive him of that? So they’re walking down the street when Peter hears a shout from up ahead. 

“Peter! Over here!”

The boy stops in his tracks and stares at none other than Ned, standing outside the cafe they used to frequent, MJ by his side. Peter smiles, then looks up at Will, who has that sarcastic smile on his face, the one that screams  _ slip up, and you’ll pay for it later.  _ So Peter approaches his friends with caution. 

“Hey, guys,” he says. “What’re you doing here?”

“We just grabbed coffee like we usually do on fridays,” Ned says. “Where have you been? You haven’t been responding to my texts.”

“Oh- Uh- I’ve, uhm, been… busy,” he says, looking up to Will for approval. When the older boy seems happy with it, Peter continues. “Yeah. Busy. You know.” He lowers his voice. “Spider-man stuff.”

“Ah,” Ned drawls, eyes holding even more excitement than before. “Well- If you need your Guy in the Chair anytime soon, I always have my ringer on.”

“I think I’ve got him covered,” Will says. “I mean, someone's got to keep him out of trouble, right, Ned?”

The two continue to converse, mostly about how Peter seems to be a magnet for trouble, and the boy in question locks eyes with MJ. The girl has been quiet, simply watching everyone talk. When their eyes meet, MJ’s are quizzical, boring straight into Peter’s soul. They stare at each other for a moment before Will wraps an arm around Peter’s shoulders, snapping him out of his trance. 

“Alright,” Will says. “We’ve gotta go. We’ll see you guys, yeah, Pete?”

“Y-Yeah,” Peter confirms, bringing a hand up to wave goodbye to his friends. “See you.”

Walking away from his best friends that day has to be one of the hardest things he’s ever done. 

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


“You doing alright, Pete?”

The boy looks up from his webshooters, glancing at his mentor anxiously. He’s always anxious these days. 

“Yeah,” he says. “Why?”

“You look tired, is all,” Tony replies, not looking up from his tablet. “And you’ve been distant. Your friends are worried.”

Peter stands. “You’ve been talking to my friends?”

_ “They  _ talk to  _ me,”  _ Tony corrects. He looks up. “So I’ll ask again: are you doing alright? How’re things with Will?”

“Everything’s fine, Tony,” Peter grumbles, looking back at his project. “Can we just drop it?”

“Whoa,” the man says, holding up both hands. “No need to get snippy.”

“I’m not  _ snippy.  _ I just don’t want to talk about it.”

“About what?” 

Peter looks up again. “What?”

Tony stands and walks towards the boy, and Peter begins to falter. “All I asked is how things are with Will, and you said you don’t want to talk about ‘it’, implying that there is an ‘it’ to talk about.” The man sits on Peter’s workbench. “So what is it?”

Peter jumps up. “Nothing, Tony! There’s nothing to talk about!”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Tony deadpans. “If there were nothing going on, you wouldn’t be this upset.” 

“Stop,” Peter demands, clenching his fists. 

Tony stands. “Just talk to me, kid.”

Peter opens his mouth to speak, but he can’t find the words to say. Tony gently grabs his hand, then leads him back over to sit on a stool. 

“Where’d the bruise on your face come from,” the man asks softly. 

Peter reaches up to his face, fingers grazing his cheekbone, where Will hit him the night before. Fuck. He thought he covered that up. “Patrol,” he whispers. 

“You haven’t worn the suit in weeks.” Tony sits beside him. “Try again.”

This time, Peter only shrugs. 

“Work with me here, Pete,” his mentor begs. “Whatever it is, we can work through it.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.” Tony brings his thumb up to wipe a tear from his protege’s cheek. “But I can only help if you let me.” He pauses. “Is Will hurting you?”

“No.”

The response is automatic. Peter says it without thinking, stomach twisting as soon as it leaves his lips. 

“Peter.” Tony’s voice is firm. “Is Will hurting you?”

He hesitates this time.  _ “No.” _

_ “Peter.” _

“He’s just sick,” the teen cries. “He doesn’t mean to, he’s… He's working on it-  _ we’re  _ working on it!” Tony reaches forward, maybe to hug him, but Peter pulls away. “He’s- He’s getting better, I promise-“

“Kid-“

“Please don’t be m-mad at me, I’m trying to- to h-help him-“

“Pete-“

“Just give me another chance-“

“Kid,  _ listen to me.” _

Peter’s mouth snaps shut and he ducks his head, fiddling with the ends of his sleeves. Tony leans forward so that he’s resting an elbow against the table, eyes studying Peter’s intently. 

“I’m not mad at you,” he says gently. “I know you have this idea in your head that you have to help everyone, but you don’t. That’s not your job.”

“But I’m-“

“Spider-man,” Tony finishes. “Yeah. I know. But you’ve got to keep yourself safe, kid. First and foremost. Got it?” The boy nods, eyes trained on the floor. “And I think that the best thing you could do for Will right now is getting him help from a  _ professional,  _ not just from his sixteen-year-old boyfriend.”

Peter’s face crumples, more tears squeezing from his eyes as he nods silently. Tony reaches out a hand, then retracts it. 

“Can I hug you?”

The boy lets out a whimper, nodding fervently and careening forward until he falls into his father figure’s arms. Tony holds him tightly, one hand combing through his hair. 

“I’m sorry, Underoos,” he whispers. “I should’ve noticed sooner.” Peter wants to object, to convince Tony that it’s his own fault for letting it get this bad, but all he can manage is another gasping sob. Tony hushes him. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


Peter doesn’t expect breaking up with Will to be easy, but he also never expected it to be this  _ hard.  _

He’s sitting on the couch, his leg bouncing up and down as he waits for Will to walk in the door. All of Will’s things are in a box, ready to be placed in the older boy’s hands before shoving him out the door.

Even though Tony is hiding in Peter’s room just in case something goes wrong, Peter is still stressed, afraid, ashamed. He can’t stop thinking about how May’s voice sounded when she cried out apology after apology, how she grabbed onto him and promised to do better at keeping him safe. 

_ (But he’s Spider-man, damn it. He should be keeping her safe.)  _

When Will comes in, dropping his backpack and keys on the kitchen table, Peter stands. When the taller boy’s nose scrunches in displeasure, Peter wrings his hands together. 

“Why didn’t you make dinner,” he demands. “You know I’m always tired after practice.”

Peter moves forward, picking up the box of his boyfriend’s-  _ ex boyfriend’s-  _ belongings. “I need you to leave,” he says firmly, holding out the box. 

Will’s face contorts. “What?”

“I’m breaking up with you.” Peter clears his throat anxiously. “I need you to leave. I already packed all your things-“

Before he can finish, Will smacks the box out of Peter’s hands, making it fall to the floor loudly. The boy flinches backwards, bringing his hands up in instinctive defense. 

“The fuck do you mean you’re breaking up with me?!” Will bellows. “After- After everything I’ve done for you? Are you fucking serious, Peter?”

Tony prepared him for this- for the yelling and the screaming- but Peter can’t help himself when he freezes up, bowing his head. 

“I- Uh- Uhm-“ Peter bends forward to collect Will’s things back into the box, but Will grabs his arm before he can. “Let me go,” he says. 

“Not until we talk about this,” Will grits out. 

“You need help.”

“We’ve talked about this, Peter.” The older boy’s hand begins to squeeze Peter’s bicep painfully. “I’m not going to get better without you. I need you.”

“Let me  _ go,  _ Will,” Peter warns. 

“No!”

Tony prepared him for this, too. He said that Peter shouldn’t be afraid to use his strength, if only to defend himself should Will try to overpower him. So he does- he grabs onto Will’s wrist and wrenches his arm away, but before he can move far enough away, the other teen uses his other hand to grab at the collar of Peter’s shirt. 

“You want me to leave?” Will screams. “You want me to go out there, tell everyone who Spider-man is, where he lives? Where his aunt works?” Peter’s breath hitches, and Will must be able to see his panic because he smiles. “Yeah, Pete. Wouldn’t you hate it if any of those criminals you’ve had run-ins with go after May? She really is a sweet lady. It’d be a shame if-“

“If what?”

Both of them turn their heads towards the hallway, where Tony is standing, leaning against the wall. The man stands up straight, sauntering forward with more confidence than most would have when staring down a man several inches taller. 

“Mr. Stark,” Will splutters. 

“Yeah,” Tony replies venomously, stalking up to Will until they’re barely inches apart. “Now let go of my kid.”

Will does. He releases his hold on Peter’s shirt and steps away, but Tony follows him, straightening his back so they’re nose-to-nose. 

“Pick up your shit and get out,” he says. 

Will doesn’t move for a moment. “But-“

“Get  _ out!”  _ Tony grits through clenched teeth. “He told you to leave, so get the fuck out!”

“Peter,  _ please,”  _ Will begs, looking past Tony and at the shorter teen. “Please don’t do this to me-“

“You did this to yourself,” Tony growls. “Now get out before I make you.”

Will clenches his jaw and gathers his things from the floor, then moves towards the door. He looks back at Peter, opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but doesn’t get to before Tony slams the door in his face. When the man looks back at Peter, his face softens. 

“Come here, Pete,” he beckons, and Peter does so, running right into his arms. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, tears beginning to saturate Tony’s shirt. 

“Stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. The guy’s a real piece of work.”

“What if he comes back?”

“We’ll change the locks,” Tony says. “We’ll get you a new phone number. Get a restraining order. Whatever it takes, okay?”

Peter relaxes a little in his father-figure’s arms. “Thank you.”

“Anything for my favorite kid,” Tony replies. 

They stay there for a long time. Finally, Will is gone. There’s no trace of him left in the apartment. For the first time in months, Peter feels safe. 

He feels free. 

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think <3 i’m also accepting prompts on my tumblr, and you can find me @ dropmyneedle


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